1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to board games, and more particularly, to a rodeo board game which simulates the activities of rodeoing in a rodeo circuit at various locations in cities across the United States. The rodeo board game is characterized by a game board having various rodeo city locations provided in a border area around the perimeter thereof and forming a path for movement of game pieces or tokens. The game tokens traverse the path according to chance by operation of a spinner and "Average" and "Rank" cards located in the center area of the game board are drawn by each player in sequence according to the spinner position, to determine the players' rodeoing performance at each rodeo location.
Board games are extremely popular with a wide segment of the population and include both young and old participants. Many board games simulate actual physical and athletic activities and are for that reason, quite popular with those who are unable, for one reason or another, to participate in such activities. Other board games are designed to facilitate token traversal of a game board by operation of chance, using a die, pair of dice or a spinner. Many such board games combine the element of chance with skill in acquiring property or making investments according to game rules which simulate actual business conditions.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the best known and established board games is that of "Monopoly", which is manufactured by Parker Bros., Inc. and is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,026,082, dated Dec. 31, 1935, to C. B. Darrow. A similar board game structure is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,585,233, dated Apr. 29, 1986, to Peter Wilson. This board game is capable of being used in connection with a known standard or conventional board game such as "Monopoly" and is designed to make the game of "Monopoly" more complex. The game board is modified to provide two sets of perimeter spaces, one of which is a conventional "Monopoly" space alignment and the other defining a plurality of spaces having subject matter compatible with that of the "Monopoly" spaces. "Sports Board Games" are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,486,022, dated Dec. 4, 1984, to Arthur R. Dixon. This patent details a series of sport games wherein players attempt to maximize their financial worth by buying, selling and trading performers. Each board game includes a game board representing a specific sport and having a plurality of spaces located about the board and forming a path for movement of the same pieces. Designated spaces on each board represent professional atheletes or performers of the respective sport and activities relating to that sport. Each player is provided with a token which the player moves around the board as directed by chance means, such as dice. Each performer space represents a specific performer and has two designated values marked thereon, an acquisition value and an income value. Sets of cards corresponding to the performer's team, stadiums and game in related actions are provided and the stadium cards contain a second income value for corresponding performer income spaces. U.S. Pat. No. 3,334,903, dated Aug. 8, 1967, to M. I. Glass, et al, discloses a "Game Apparatus Comprising a Device For Distinguishing Between Differently Shaped Cards". The game apparatus detailed in this patent is played with cards which represent commodities and investments that are bought and traded as the game progresses. The game includes a game board having spaces on which the cards are placed in accordance with the rules of the game and markers which are placed on the board and moved along the spaces in accordance with the indications of a randomly indicating chance device, such as a spinner. Play money is issued to the participants and they may buy and swap commodities within the rules of the game as they see fit. A "Discount Store Board Game Apparatus" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,437, dated Feb. 23, 1971, to Tibb N. Mitchell. In this patent, a game board and appurtenances represent various aspects of the retail merchandise or discount store business, including special sale days, commissions and management opportunities. The apparatus includes markers to indicate and locate each player and peg-and-rack boards to record and display the player's managerial position advancement. Chance means provide the number of spaces for sequential movement of the markers along the game board. The spaces indicate particular monetary awards which may be associated with specified sales days, or the selection of a card from different stacks provides various awards, penalties and advanced managerial positions. A further group of store window display cards are issued which correspond to different sales spaces on the game board. Particular combinations of display cards have specified monetary awards. The player accumulating the most money in a given time or reaching the position of president, is considered to be the winner. U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,954, dated June 17, 1975, entitled "Board Game Apparatus" to Jack T. Malisow, discloses a game board having marked spaces or areas constituting a path of progression about the board. A portion of the spaces are designated for various property locations such as gambling hotels, restaurants and the like. Spaces are also designated for certain reward/penalty spaces such as "Pass", "Don't Pass", "Income Tax", "Go To Jail", "Jail", and the like. Playing pieces are provided with one piece representing each player and chance apparatus such as dice determine the movement of each piece about the board. The game further includes a medium of payment such as token money and ownership indicators such as title cards for properties that may be purchased. A "Stock Exchange Game" is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,163,423, dated Dec. 29, 1964. In playing the stock exchange game, each player strives to become the wealthiest player and thus the winner of the game. The players match wits against each other by deciding which stocks should be bought and sold and when. Money may be acquired by a player by collecting dividends on stocks which he owns, by exercising "put and call" options and by shrewdly buying and selling stocks, the prices of which continually change, at a profit. The game board is set up to simulate various investment businesses with "Put Option", "Call Option", and "D J News Flash" cards, which determine various aspects of investment features as the game board is traversed by tokens. A "Game Equipment and Method Having Simultaneously Played, Balanced, Multiple Game Theories", is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,881, dated Jan. 30, 1979, to Ralph Anspach. The patent discloses game equipment and a method in which the equipment is formed for simultaneous play by at least two different game theories. The game equipment includes probability determining means formed to substantially balance the probability of winning by either of the different game theories. In a preferred form, a parlor-type board game is disclosed, in which business development or real estate trading is simulated with the game including simultaneous play by at least two players, with one playing under a monopolistic game theory and the other playing under a competitive game theory and each having an equal chance of winning. A rodeo board game entitled "Championship Rodeo Circuit" is advertised by Simpkins & Pelley, P.O. Box 264AC, Leavenworth, Wash., 98862. The game board used in this rodeo board game appears to have multiple interior paths for traversal of a token by operation of a spinner.
It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved rodeo board game which simulates traveling in a rodeo circuit and participating at various rodeo locations in the circuit.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved rodeo board game which is characterized by a game board provided with perimeter spaces labeled to indicate the locations of various rodeos, chance means such as a spinner for determining movement of tokens around the spaces and "Rank" and "Average" cards for determining the individual's rodeo ride experience in each of the rodeo circuit locations.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a rodeo board game which simulates traveling and participation in the rodeo circuit, which board game is characterized by a game board provided with spaces labeled to indicate certain cities where rodeos take place, a set of "Average" and "Rank" cards which simulate a choice of bulls to ride and indicate the nature of each ride by the game participants in the rodeos in which he participates and a spinner which determines by chance, the election of the "Rank" or "Average" cards to be drawn and the extent of advancement around the game board.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and improved rodeo board game which is characterized by a game board provided with spaces around the periphery thereof, which spaces are labeled to indicate the various cities where rodeos are held, the game board also provided with "Average" and "Rank" card locations and corresponding cards for drawing in accordance with the chance position of a spinner, to determine a simulated bull assignment and the advancement, ranking and money won by each participant.